5 Tips to Create Effective Design that Converts

In part one of this series, we looked at how to increase the conversion rate by optimizing editorial content. In this article, I would like to give you guidance on how to achieve an effective design.

The user experience and design of the landing page determine whether people convert and that is why it should not be underestimated.

Continuity is still the foundation
As stated in the previous blog, it is important to have the same design for the email and landing page. The best way to prove it is still the same offer is to use the same graphs and similar pictures.

With this newsletter from The Body Shop, we can see the continuity between the email (on the left) and the landing page (on the right) The colors and the picture are the same.

Visual is the best conversion factor 92.6 percent of people said that the visuals are the top influential factor affecting a purchase decision. Psychologist Albert Mehrabian found that 90 percent of information that enters the brain is visual. This means for an internet user skimming the web, any information you want to communicate is better shown in the form of an image. An image says a lot and helps to grab the attention of your visitors. Images can also generate positive emotions that drive people to buy immediately. My colleague, Gabriel, previously mentioned this in the article How Can emotions Influence Email Readers? Creating emotions can have a really positive impact along the entire customer journey.

Pictures of people are very effective because they are expressing an emotion the user is supposed to feel. It is a psychologist behavior called mirroring, we tend to mirror another person’s attitudes and actions. But avoid using stock images, they are really seen as untrustworthy.

With this newsletter and landing page below, Nectar used a picture with people wearing trendy clothes who seem to have a good time in the sun to highlight their offer for the brand Asos.

Don’t use too many pictures (except on a product page of an ecommerce website), the user has to stay focused on the offer presented on the landing page. Too many pictures over complicate the page and disrupt the attention of the subscriber. Use the same image or at least something similar on the email and the landing page. The picture should match the offer and influence the purchase decision.

Video
31 percent of people bought a product after being influenced by a video and one in two customers have more confidence in a product after watching an online video. If your product or offer is complex or requires too much text to explain it, adding a video is an easy way to consume and understand it. Do not forget most of the visitors do not want to read too much text.

Here are some recommendations about using video:

Keep your video short: for the same reason as the copy shouldn’t be too long, we don’t want to lose the subscriber’s attention.

Place the video above the fold. There is no logic in putting it under a heavy block of copy.

Choose an attractive thumbnail image that captures the user’s attention.

Here is an email from Netflix (on the left) promoting the selection of the Emmy awards. When you click on the call-to-action the landing page as a video of the trailer to present the TV Show “The Crown”

Mobile friendlyWe know that 55% of the emails are opened on mobile devices, that means the visitors are likely to be accessing your landing page on their smartphone or tablets. If the design of your website is not mobile friendly, they will probably give up and leave the page.

This welcome email from Pizza Express returns you to a responsive page to book a table in the nearest restaurant.

Again, test it, test it and test itAs stated in part 1 of this series, the best thing to do is carry out your own tests and make your own conclusions. If, after following all these tips, you think you can further increase the conversion rate of your landing page then try out new ideas using A/B testing and let your customers decide which content works best for them. Here is a link to download our ebook about A/B testing to learn how and what to test.

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About Audrey Menager

Audrey Menager is an Associate Email Strategist at Return Path based in the London office. She built her experience in project management roles in France. Audrey recently chose to move to London and specialise in and join the world of email marketing. This provides her with the opportunity to use her experience and knowledge from the client side, due an understanding of the challenges faced by a marketer. Connect with her on LinkedIn.